Tigers breach safari gates, get into scuffle

Visitors to Bannerghatta Biological Park were thrilled to see a fierce battle between two groups of tigers. However, the sight left staffers worried about security.

Two white tigers sneaked past the safari gates separating the Royal Bengal and white tiger enclosures on Sunday afternoon. Soon, they were growling, scratching, and pushing one another.

The gatekeepers did not notice the big cats walking along safari buses. The lapse came to officials’ notice when the animals began roaring.

Santosh Kumar, executive director of the park, said this was the first time such an incident had taken place at Bannerghatta. A detailed inquiry is on, he told DH.

“These gatekeepers are from a private agency. They will be removed and the contractor blacklisted,” he said.Footfalls are high on Saturdays and Sundays, and the number of safari buses also goes up. That could have been another reason for the lapse, Santosh Kumar said. The animals are injured and are being treated.

Kumar said carnivores are usually housed in groups from an early age and they get along only with their groups.

When carnivores from two groups come face to face, they tend to get into a confrontation, he said.

Water bodies in shape

For the first time in many years, all water bodies at the Bannerghatta zoo and national park are full.

The zoo has two lakes, the sarafi area five, and the periphery 12. Some abandoned quarries have now become lakes.

All of them are overflowing, and that is a good sign, a top park official said. Javed Mumtaz, deputy conservator of forests, Bannerghatta National Park, said 350 to 400 water bodies inside the forest were overflowing.

“This is a first since 2007. It will help wildlife and bring down conflicts,” he said.